Metal fence-post.



R. C. KNOPKE.

' METAL FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 23. 1915.

RAYMOND c. KNOIKE, or GLEELLYN, ILLINOIS.

METAL FENCE-POST.

. To all ahora t may concern:

Be it known that 1RAYM0ND C. KNOPKE, a citizen of the United-States and a resident 'ofiGlenellym county of Dupage, and State of ,Illinois, lhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in and for Metal Fence-Posts, of which the following is a specification. f

My invention relates to fence posts and has particular reference to nimprovements in metallic posts for metal fences, z'. e., for the Ysupport .of wire fencing.

The object ofcmy invention is to provide a metallic post Awhich'shall furnish a reliable and durable support'for the fencing; that shall be adapted to be driven into the ground, as distinguished from the 'setting of a post in a post hole; that shall have great "holding power and. effectively resist and opin which Figure l is a vertical elevation of a sebtion of fencing containing metallic posts embodying my invention ;-Figs. 2, 3, and

` 4 are perspective views of the lower or anchor-portions of my post, in three diferent forms ;-Fig. 5 is a face view of a lower anchor` plate, of the form shown in Fig. 2;- Fig. 6 is a side lView of the lower part of the post showing a portion ofthe lower anchorplate and the .whole of the upper anchor plate ;-Fig. 7 is a.sectional view of the post shown in Fig. 2, the section being upon a plane above the upper anchor plate ha Fig. 8 is a similar plan section of the post shown in Fig. 3 ;-and Fig. 9 is alike view of the post depicted in Fig. 4.V In Fig. 1 I have shown two of my novel metal posts, A, A, as they appear after being driven into the ground, B. The wires, C, represent the fencing material, (whether simplewires or wire nettitng) fastened to and supported by the posts.

" Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21,1917.

Application led October 23, 1915. Serial No. 57,453.

In practice the metal posts are preferably steel or wrought iron,land are of sufficient. l strength to resist bending strains that would allow the destruction vof the fence. The post proper, as indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, may be T-shape or L-shape in cross section. My experience and observation lead me to give preference to the T-form shown in Figs. 2 and 4, over the angle 0r L-form,

shown in Fig. 3., As will appear hereinafter', the specially novel parts are applicable to both T-bars and angle bars.

Whatever the shape ofthe bar, its lower end, A, is sharpenedtofacilitate the driv-l ing of the post into the ground. This sharpening is clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The lower end ofthe post or bar, A, in

' each case, is driven into the ground to a depth of leighteen to twenty-four inches; and the portion thus embedded in the ground is equipped with bracing or anchor plates by which the longitudinal and transverse areas of the post are greatly increased at points best adapted to resist strains tending to throw down the post.k As also hereinafter explained, the plates are so formed as to make 'them effective against upward stresses tending to withdraw the posts from the ground. f

The plate, D, which lies nearest to the .surface of the ground when the -post is in position is formed from a Hat plate of metal and has a straight, vertical edge,- D, also a `straight edge, D2, that is preferably perpendicularto thebody of the post, and also an ,irregular edge, D3, about to be described. The straight edge of the plate lies. againstthe inner side of the post and is secured to the #lateral flangebyd means of rivets, D4, preferably two in number. The engagement of the edge of the plate with the other flange of the post prevents' twisting or rockof lthe plate and in some cases I nd`it 1n ,.suicient to fasten it with Hone strong rivet midway of the height of the plate.

The irregular edge, D3, is of such form that the greatest areas for coaction with the ground are'found` at the lower end, D5, and at the upper end, D, of the plate. This is in sharp contrast with the action of an ordinary triangular plate; and my novel plate is much more effective., It will be noted that the innerbend or curve,-D7, of

, the ledge, D3, reduced the area/6f`the'midi dle. portion of the plate and that the material thus saved is added to 'the upper and lower portion of the plate. They triangular form alluded to is indicated by `the dotted lines, D8, of Figi 6. It should be observed that the material usually lyingagainst the face of the post at. the lower end of the plate is done away wlth in my plate and is distributed or dis-- 'and equally important purpose is that the plate may thus easilybe embedded in the ground that itvcannot be bent by the further driving which sinks the Vwider part of the plate into the ground. In other words, the lower part serves as an easily driven guide for the upper part of the plate while the latter .is displacing the earth laterally. Thus, after the plate is well set into the ground the wider portion of the plate though' of greater area than found in any'ommon triangular plate may safely be drivenvdownward without danger of bending the plate or tearing it from the body of the post.

Below the lateral plate, D, I position the main anch'or plate, E, securing it to the post rigidly by means of several rivets, E. As explained hereinafter, I may form the upper edges of the plates, E, in various ways to make them effective as to anchors, but for the moment these differences' may be isregarded in the consideration of the general form ofthe plate' and-v the blank from which' it is made.v It is notof triangular form; lbut it is of a peculiar' form that makes' substantially the' whole of the plate efectiveto brace the post, c'. e., the formis such that the least possiblemetal coincides with the face, A, of the post; and,'for a glven area and weight of metal, the greatest possible area is exposed beyond the outlines ofthe post. Thus, as'appears in Fig. 5`=the plate is virtually the double of the plate,

, D, and the curved edge-of the latter is preservedin both of the edges, E2, E2, of the plate, E. By this'formation the maximum exposed' area is secured, and the plate is so shaped that it easily may' be driven into the ground to the point at lwhich the more widely extendingportions of the plate may be safely driven Without danger of distortion.

For convenience, I have given the name double ogee curve to the edges, D", and

E5 To the lower end, E3, of the plate,-I lhave given the name blunt end.

It should be observed that while thelower lodgment.

end is actually blunt,`its portions, E, which extend out from the. post, present relatively sharp driving edges to the ground.

I find that the best effects are secured by placing the blunt end of the plate, at a distance from the lower end of the post, and preferably at a distance nearly equal to the height of the plate, E.l The sum of all plate dimensions is such that. when the post has been driven in the ground the upper edge, D2, of the plate, D, is buried beneath the surface of the ground, but obviously the relative dimensions and proportions illustrated may be modified in such manner that the top plate may remain slightly exposed at the surface, or flush therewith.

I do not find any condition under which the plate, E, can be advantageously placed at the extreme lower end of the post. The position illustrated is far better, for it insures the action of the plate, E, as a. fulcrum for the parts of the post within the ground and thus preventsany considerable displacement of the post in a vplane perpendicular to that of the fencing, The plate, D, of the posthas its position at, or slightly beneath, the surface of the ground in order that it may act as a. fulcrum between the parts of the post beneath and above the ground, as required to resist most effectively the tendency of the fence to move longitudinally in its plane.

Plain plates disposed, as here shown, have.

a considerable anchoring effect by reason o f -tlie corfp'ression of the earth around them and .their frictional engagement therewith.

But I have observedthat when` a metal post equipped with plain surface plates is only slightly loosened in the ground, the post may be withdrawn quite readily. It is desirable, therefore, that the post shall be well anchored, to lresist any tendency toward disy I' have also observed that in many cases a great upward strain is exerted upon the posts by the fencing, particularly when fencing extends across hollows. The' post has a tendencyto pull out of the round also where soil is loose and sandy, an therefore an elfectivevanchorage is most desirable and very necessary. To this end I widen the top edge or edges of the lowerplate,

and by the peculiar constructions disclosed I accomplish this without either 'weakening the plate or increasingits size, or its weight, and without making it specially difficult/ to drive. v

The kind of lateral distortion which I find to yield the best results in thei case 0f A the lower plate, consists in the opposite offsetting of adjacent portions or' its upper edge, in one or the otherof the yforms shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Each of these forms many times increases the effective width of the top of the plate; and, obviously, when buried in theearth these wide edges oppose the lifting of "the post. In all formsv the ofl'sets are positioned at the top of the plate and do not begin to enter the ground until the widest part of `the plate has already entered the ground and is thus positioned to oppose its displacement by the lateral forces put in action by the driving of the offset portions into the earth.

Perhaps the most simple form of osets is that depicted in Fig. 3.' In that case, I first cut a notch, F, in the top of the plate, E, making the notch of the width of the face of the post. I then oppositely oset the edges, Ef. To merely offset these edges instraight lines is desirable, but, on the other hand, is

rarely sufficient; for such edges tend to leo straighten orfiatten into the plane of the re'- mainder of the plate when opposed by solid fearth. To avoid this I form the edges, Ef, as curved bends or crimps, Ef', thereby giving them an inherent strength aside from the strength of their connection with the body of the plate.

A stronger formation is depicted in Fig. 2 wherein it will be seen that the top offsets, G-G, are integrally connected, there being no notch in the plate. Instead, integral 'L bends, G', join theoffsets to the 'middle portion, G of the plate. 'This arrangement of integral offsets greatly strengthens the upper edge of the plate. Y

In lieu of the opposite offsets depicted in Figs. 2 and 3, I sometimes use a plate, E, having a fiuted upper edge, I-I, composed of opposite V-shaped osets, I-I, as best shown in Fig. 9. This formation is limited to the upper portion of the plate and provides the desired wide top or upper edge.

Preferably, I do not crimp, flute or votherwise laterally distort the upper edge of the plate, D, for the reason that that edge of the plate is not deeply buried in the ground and any shape other than a straight, flat shape wouldv merely serve to leave the ground in loosecondition, while it should be left in the most tightly packed and stable condition.

Posts constructed in accordance with my invention," possess great strength and stability'and' are very durable and yet may be made of relatively small totalweight. It will be clear to those ,skilled in theart that' my novel posts ,do not involve the use of specially skilled ylabor or large amounts of material and are, therefore, very inexpensive'- `as compared with postsof like dimensions and strength now in use. Having thusl d escribed my invention, I claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent y 1'. The improvement hereinvv described,

. my hand this ,comprising a fence post-composed of a body portion having a metalplate' attached thereto, said plate being provided with cutting side edges, and with an upper edge outturned at less than a right angle, whereby the post may carry the said plate below the surface thereof, substantially as described.

2. The improvement herein described, comprising a fence 'post composed of a body portion `having a metal plate attached thereto, said plate being provided with inclined cutting side edges and having its upper edge laterally and oppositely ,offset at opposite sides of the bodyv portion, said offset portions having upwardly mclined faces, .whereby the post may be driven into the earth completely covering the said plate,

be driven into the earth and v4. The improvement herein described,-

eomprising a metal fence post, of a flanged metal bar in combination with a flat metal plate fixed upon one of the fianges of the bar at substantially ground level height, said plate projecting beyond the fiange of the bar in the form of an upwardly and outwardly extending double ogee curve, and a lower .anchor plate, having two double ogee curved cutting edges, secured f'latwise upon another flange of the bar substantially at right an gles to the first mentioned plate, said lower plate being provided with an outwardly turned upwardly inclined top edge portion at either side of the bar, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. f

5. The improvement herein described, comprising a metal fence post composed of a flanged metal bar, in combination with an anchor plate fixed to the lower part of said bar and having its upper part laterally and oppositely distorted to provide upwardly inclined portions at opposite sides of the bar,

whereby the .post may be driven into the earth to a point completely covering said inclined portions, the distorted portion ofthe plates being' integrally joined and thus strengthened, substantially as and for the purposes described. I, y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 20th 4day of October, 1915.

. RAYMOND C. KNOPKE.

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